9
by poetryismyfirstlove
Summary: Modern AU. Naruto and Sasuke were being typical boys, passing time and watching girls. Sasuke doesn't believe in a 10, saying everyone has flaws. For him, the perfect girl was a 9.
1. Chapter 1

I was hanging out with my bestfriend, Sasuke-teme, under the old cherry blossom tree in the park, just chilling out and watching girls pass us by.

One red haired girl with glasses passed by clad in a tube top, miniskirt and stilettos. She looked quite pretty only her make-up was too much for my taste.

"7" I said. I deducted points for too much make-up.

"5" Sasuke said.

"5?" I repeated in disbelief. "Are you really that choosy, teme? Didn't you see her curves or appreciate her long legs? I know she had too much make-up on but really?"

"Hn."

"How about her? I'd say 8" I said as I pointed out a blonde girl with her hair in a high ponytail dressed in a halter top and skinny jeans with matching boots. She looked really sexy and exuded a confident aura.

"Maybe a 5.5" he said.

"What? Is that the highest you could give? Seriously, no girl has ever scored higher than a 6 for you and I scored that girl a 9" I said, remembering the shy looking black-haired girl wearing an off shoulder sweater dress just above her knees and ankle boots. She dressed simply but the small amount of skin showing was enticing and it didn't hurt that she had big uh assets.

"I know what I see and I know what I like, dobe. Besides, you'd score any girl an 8 as long as she looks doable."

"Not true. I scored one chick earlier a 4." I said in my defense. Jeez! I'm not that perverted.

"Only because you realized she was Tsunade-sensei" Sasuke said knowingly.

"Whatever." I said and set my sights back to our game.

Sasuke and I had an ongoing scoring system of each girl as they pass. It was something we've learned from Jiraya-sensei. I know it was such a douchebag thing to do, but we didn't know any different then. We were just being boys. And for the longest time that we have been doing this the teme hasn't scored anyone higher than a 6. To think I have seen my share of 9s and was on the look-out for a 10.

Sasuke-teme doesn't even believe in a 10, saying no perfect girl exists. Everyone has their flaws hence the perfect girl for him would be a 9.

That's when I heard him say "9"

Did I hear right? Did the teme just say 9? I had to see this for myself. This picky ice cube has found a 9 when I haven't even scored a 10 to any girl yet, and to think I'm more loose with my standards.

I turned to him and asked "Where? Where?"

I followed his gaze to see a girl walking alone.

She was wearing a white baby tee which showed off a strip of her flat tummy and ripped jeans and red converses. Maybe it was a trick of the light but the sunlight framed her mass of pink hair. She looked like some freaking angel who came down to earth.

Suddenly she turned to our direction and I was amazed to stare at her bare face, with those large green eyes and pink lips. She was beautiful, utterly and naturally beautiful.

I have never put much faith in love at first sight but here I am experiencing the exact thing.

It was just a brief glance but eternity seemed to have gone by. She passed us by unaware of her effect on me.

"10" I murmured. It seemed that Sasuke and I had the same ideal girl after all.

I felt Sasuke rise up to leave."Hey, where are you going teme?"

"You think, I'd rather sit by you and look at girls all day? It took me a long time to find someone like her and I would be crazy and stupid to let her get away." He said as he brushed himself off.

I was too shocked to actually form sentences.

"And dobe, I'm calling dibs." Sasuke called back as he hurried after her.

By the time I had gotten my senses back, teme was already gone. Damn bastard!


	2. Chapter 2

Haruno Sakura, her name was Sakura.

Eversince that day the dobe and I saw her, I started to follow her around and ask about her. The dobe says I should get it over with and introduce myself already and stop from acting like some creepy stalker. Hn, stalking sounds perverted, I prefer obsessive gathering of useful data. I didn't want to introduce myself unprepared. He also told me that if I didn't make a move in a week, he'd consider my claim for dibs null and void. As if the dobe could try and take her from me. Sakura is mine. She just doesn't know it yet.

I learned that we were both freshmen in the same University and that she was taking premed on full academic scholarship. I deduced that she was not just a pretty face but a smart girl since scholarship kids require a high GPA. I learned that she's single, never had a boyfriend and is not dating anyone despite the guys who would come on to her. I also learned that she volunteers at the hospital once a week and at the animal shelter once a month and that she frequently joins the university's outreach programs and environmental campaigns. So she was a saint, an angel. She was freaking perfect, _almost_. I'll have time to figure out what her flaw was.

I saw an opportunity when the University announced that it would be having a hiking and tree-planting trip to the Konoha mountains on the weekend. I saw her sign up and I decided to sign up as well. Perfect. By the time, we've come down from the mountains, she'll never forget me.

Hn, so maybe my plan wasn't fool-proof, rather it wasn't dobe-proof. Naruto joined as well. I was able to introduce myself to Sakura which the dobe interrupted when we were assigned partners during the hike. I made sure I was beside Sakura when they were calling out pairs. Naruto ended up partnered with the black-haired girl we saw last week. The dobe was excited and the girl seemed pleased as well. It was rather obvious to anyone that the girl liked the dobe except to the dobe, himself. I'll let him figure this out.

The hike started out okay. I was able to exchange a few words with her. She talked a lot, which was kind of annoying (I knew she wasn't perfect!) but I learned a lot about her. She never once acted like a fangirl around me the moment we were alone like those other simpering idiots at school. I wouldn't have minded though if she flirted a little to make my job easier.

And then I tripped on the world's smallest rock while I was busy sneaking a glance at her, which was equal parts humiliating and painful. Sakura ended up bandaging my sprained ankle, saying she needed the practice anyway and assisted me the rest of the hike. Now this I enjoyed very much, I have my left arm over her shoulder leaning against her while her right arm held me by my waist. She smelled so good, like cut grass and something floral.

By the time we reached the mountain top, we started planting the seedlings. Sakura planted hers beside mine, saying my tree would need a friend. I didn't mind. I asked her if she considered us friends and she said of course, being as clumsy as I am, I would need her to patch me up. It was a blow to my pride but what the hell, this was the first step to making her mine. The hike down, she acted as my crutch again. I thought things couldn't have been any better.

From then on Sakura would hang out with me and occasionally with Naruto. She'd joined us for lunch, coffee breaks and the occasional movie. Sometimes it would just be the 2 of us when I would volunteer to pick her up after her shift at the hospital and especially when we're studying as the dobe has a tendency to get us kicked out of the library. I learned that many guys would approach her but since spending time with me they've gradually learned to avoid her. Good to know they know who they are dealing with.

It was a lazy Friday afternoon, and the three of us were sitting under the old cherry blossom tree in the park after our classes.

"Hey, I think I remember the 2 of you sitting here like 3 months ago. Do you often come here?" she asked.

"Sure I remember Sakura-chan! The teme and I come here to watch for girls and assign them scores." Naruto blurted. Stupid mouth, stupid mouth attached to an idiot, stupid idiot with no filter and is brain-dead.

The dobe looked at me and saw murder and hastened to go. "Ooops! I almost forgot. I am meeting Hinata-chan. See you later teme, Sakura-chan!"

"What was Naruto talking about, Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn. It's nothing, just the dobe being stupid." I am so killing the dobe later and then I'm going to eat ramen in front of his corpse.

"If it's nothing then why won't you tell me?" Sakura persisited. Annoying. I'm sure she won't stop pestering me for answers.

"It's something Naruto and I learned from Jiraiya-sensei. We score women based on whether we'd date them or not." I answered.

"I don't think I would want to know what your scoring system consists of. Does this also mean that your effort to be less of a jerk to a girl is based on her score?"

"Naruto only dates girls that score 7 and above. And I'd still be a jerk, irregardless." I smirked.

"But it does mean how many times the dobe takes her out on a date. 7 is worth one date, two if she's a good kisser. 8 is worth 2 dates and again 3 if she's a good kisser. 9 is worth 3 dates and again additional dates if she's a good kisser."

"Wait a minute, it's Naruto and Hinata's 8th date right?" She interjected. "Oh God! You're pigs! I can't believe I'm friends with pigs and I thought both of you were harmless." She wailed.

"Now don't be harsh on us. I admit that that it was a terrible thing to do but we've stopped doing it since that day. Besides, Naruto thinks Hinata is a 10 now." I explained.

"Why? What is a 10 worth?" She asked.

"She's a keeper." I said.

"So have you also used the same system?" She asked, curious.

"No, never really scored anyone higher than a 6 before." I said.

"Uh...did you and Naruto also score me?" She asked hesitantly.

Hn. Interesting. "The dobe scored you a 10."

"And you, what did you score me?" She asked, her eyes not meeting mine.

"9" I said.

"Oh." She looked disappointed but then, "Eh? Then why didn't you ever ask me out?" she asked, adorably pouting at me.

"What do you think have we been doing for the last 3 months?" I smirked.

"Oh! But then we've already gone out more than 3 times yet we've never even kissed." She said, confused.

"I could change that you know." I said as I leaned closer to her, shifting my gaze from her eyes to her lips.

Her eyes widened as her cheeks flushed.

"I don't believe in 10s. Everyone has flaws. The perfect girl for me is a 9." I explained as I caressed her cheek with my thumb.

"So I'm a keeper?" she whispered.

"Why do you think I stayed with you even if you're annoying?" I teased.

"Hmp! You're not perfect yourself Sasuke-kun but since learning of this I'm willing to negotiate how many more dates you are allowed." She said.

"Are you playing with me, Sakura?" I asked indignantly.

"Of course not, Sasuke-kun. It's only fair don't you think?" She pouted. How can I win against that pout?

"Okay, tell me more about your terms." I conceded, continuing to caress her cheek with my thumb.

"Just kiss me, Sasuke-kun. Kiss me and we're even." She said.

So I did. I swooped down and met her lips. Heaven, I thought as I tasted her lips. This is what heaven must taste like. I let my lips roam every part of hers until I've memorized them then coaxed her to part her lips as my other hand moved to pull her closer to me. I let my tongue wander inside her mouth, against the inside of her cheeks, enticing her tongue, like a greedy boy lost in a sweetshop. I felt her hand tangle in my hair, the other on my neck pulling me in deeper. It was a few moments after, flushed and out of breath, that Sakura told me.

"You're a keeper too."


End file.
